Libertarian
by LD Little Dragon
Summary: Some people should never be invited to join your secret Templar-free meetings.


**Libertarian**

**or Jowan Screws Up**

Jowan scowled as he headed to the Library. Uldred hadn't actually **said** Jowan would be tossed from his group if he did not bring in some new recruits, but ...

_We need numbers, _were Uldred's parting words after Jowan's first meeting. Uldred started sounding more and more cross after each meeting Jowan attended alone. _Everyone else has brought new members into the fraternity, Jowan. We all have to do our part, Jowan. Are you even trying to help, Jowan? Oh look, another meeting and once again no new members from Jowan. _He was not Uldred's favourite follower right now.

What was he supposed to do? Just walk up to someone and say: "Good morning! By the way, just out of curiosity, have you ever thought about joining a secret libertarian sect dedicated to freeing mages from the circle? Oh, and how do you feel about learning Blood Magic?' The only person Jowan trusted not to run screaming for the Templars at once was Solona. Maybe.

"Morning, Ser Cullen," he said as he slipped by the door guard. "Have you seen Solona?

"Apprentice Amell is in the side alcove, studying. Don't disturb her. I'm watching you."

"I'll just sit over there, and wait for Sol," Jowan said pointing to a table in the Templar's line of sight.

Jowan rolled his eyes when Solona finally stepped around the shelves, doing up the top buttons on her robes. _'Studying', idiot Templar_. He stood up and stepped in front of her. "Hey, Sol."

"No funny business. I'm watching you!" Ser Cullen called out.

Solona waved cheerfully at Cullen and then smiled at Jowan. "Morning, did you want something?"

"Yes I ..." he stopped as a number of thoughts went through his mind. _She's Irving's star pupil. Blood Magic. She's my friend. She likes Templars, well, some Templars. She likes the Circle. Blood Magic._ He shook his head and stood aside. "No, nothing. See you at lunch later?"

"Sure, bye now."

_Arrgh_ Jowan thought as he sat down and started banging his head on the table.

"If you break it, I'm not fixing it," drawled the man just coming out from the same alcove Solona was just in.

Jowan looked up. "Oh, hello. When did you get out of Solitary?"

"Hey!" Cullen yelled. "Jowan! Anders! I'm watching you! Don't do ... anything!"

Anders smirked and waved at the Templar almost exactly like Solona had while muttering 'idiot prig' under his breath. Jowan looked at him and perked up. _Not a friend of the Templars. Really, really doesn't like the Circle. Jackpot!_

Jowan grabbed Anders by his sleeve. "Hold up a minute, I have a proposition for you," he said with a grin.

"Thanks," he said, lifting Jowan's hand off his sleeve. "But they just let me out yesterday and Karl and a couple other people have already welcomed me back and I'm right knackered. You seem like a nice enough kid, but you're not really my type."

Jowan furrowed his brow. "Huh? Oh for ... not that kind of proposition. Look, you know senior mage Uldred, don't you?"

He made a face. "Yeah, he's **really** not my type."

"So not what I meant," Jowan said. He looked around, Ser Cullen was still glaring at them, but there wasn't anyone within earshot. "Uldred has a special group set up - you may have heard of them? The Deep Caves Lichen Researchers?"

"Ooookay. Gotta tell you, nasty deep caves, creepy old mages, not my thing."

"It's a front," Jowan said, lowering his voice. "The whole Lichen bit is just an excuse to get away from the Templars where we can discuss freedom for mages and other things."

"Oooh, naked things? Still not liking the cave setting, but all those writhing, freedom-loving mages ..."

"What? No! Maker's Breath, man, what's wrong with you? There are more important things in life!"

He pouted. "I did just get out of solitary."

"You were only there for two weeks!"

"Ten days, they let me out early for good behaviour," he said with a shrug. "But it was a **really** **long** ten days."

Jowan threw up his arms and yelled. "Stop thinking about sex for one minute!"

Across the hall Ser Cullen snapped to attention and ran over to grab Anders by his collar and yank him away from Jowan. "That's enough out of you, there will be no corrupting young apprentices on my watch."

"It's not what it sounds like," Jowan said nervously. "We're just discussing ... erm, Antivan literature?"

"Antony take over for me for a minute will you?" Cullen called across the Library to a strolling Templar. "I'm just going to take this one for a little visit to the Knight Commander."

"He brought it up," Anders protested as he was dragged away. "It's not my fault!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"This way," Jowan said, tugging on Anders sleeve. "This month we've been studying the lower tidal cave lichens."

"Lovely," Anders said with a pout. "Down into the dank, dark depths. They just have to make us go through the caverns, don't they? You know it's a much shorter walk to the beach if you travel on the surface."

There was a snort from behind them.

"No sunshine," he sighed picking up the hem of his robes as he bypassed a dusty stalagmite. "Just you, me, and my own personal Templar guard-dog. Thanks for that, by the way."

"Ah," Jowan peeked back at the helmeted Templar following them. "Sorry about that. You'll be glad you came, trust me," Jowan said. "Senior mage Uldred is a great teacher, at least when he's teaching subjects he's passionate about."

"Uldred also has a knack for sniffing out maleficars," the Templar said from behind them. "Don't even think of trying to get of this, mage."

"Wouldn't dream of it, sweetheart," Anders said and then turned to Jowan and scowled. "Did you have to do such a great job of convincing Ser Rylock how great Uldred's little study group is?"

"I couldn't talk to you without her listening in," Jowan said.

"Not you, or anyone else," Anders grouched. "It's been a frustrating week."

"Get a move on," Ser Rylock growled. "And don't even think of trying to make a run for it - that tunnel you found that goes under the lake was sealed off."

They came to a branch in the caverns where four Templars were standing guard.

"I'll take it from here," one Templar said to Ser Rylock. "Uldred keeps them busy right up until dinnertime. You can come back and pick him up then."

"Don't take your eyes off him," Rylock said. She turned to Anders and held out her hand. "Staff, now."

"Aww come on, I promise I'll only use it as a walking stick."

"Hand it over."

"Tyrant," he grumbled as he passed over the staff. Rylock twirled it a couple of times before sauntering back the way they came.

"Go on through," the Templar said after Rylock had departed.

Anders looked back curiously at the Templars who had made no move to follow them. "No escort?"

"Nope," Jowan said, grinning. "And no Templars at the other end, either. Uldred knows how to keep them quiet."

"Little blue bottles of Templar bliss?" Anders asked.

"Um, probably," Jowan said. "I didn't ask for details."

"Sweet," Anders said, bouncing a little. "I get tired of all those bucket-heads looking at me like I'm about to turn maleficar any second. That Rylock is one of the worst. She got all huffy when I turned on the charm, too."

"Turned on the ... you tried to **flirt** with the Templar assigned to keep you from flirting with people?"

He shrugged. "It was worth a try. Some of the Templars like it."

_Maker's Breath_, Jowan thought. _No wonder he hasn't been recruited before. I'm in so much trouble. Although he's not a chantry lover, so the Blood magic bit will be an easy sell. Time to bring up. Nice and casual like._

"I've been wondering, about the 'turn maleficar' part," Jowan said nervously. "Is it really being a maleficar if you don't actually hurt anybody? Except maybe yourself ..."

"Andraste's Flaming Knickers," Anders said, rolling his eyes. "Why do so many people think I'm planning to turn maleficar? Those kind of rumours can get a guy killed. How long do you think Greagoir would let me live if he thought I was at all dangerous?" He narrowed his eyes. "Please tell me you're not thinking about getting into blood magic."

"Um, no ..."

"Look, kid, it crosses just about every mage's mind at least once, usually around the first time they cut themselves shaving, or with the girls just about every month."

Jowan looked blank. "**Every **month?"

"Haven't you learnt what days are bad ones to challenge the girls to a duel on?"

"Oh those days. Yeah, Sol's untouchable then," Jowan blinked. "Wait, I thought she was just cranky. Blood magic, really?"

"Just biology," he said with a shrug. "And not the same thing, really, but enough to make 'em think about it."

"Right," Jowan said, brightening up. "So all that talk against blood magic is just Chantry nonsense, right?"

"No, no, no, I just meant most of us have thought about it, not that we should ever **use **it. That shit's powerful, seductive, and really dangerous." Anders said, waving his hands for emphasis. "Blood belongs on your insides, not your outsides. When it comes to blood magic, kid - just say no."

"Um," Jowan said as Anders clapped him on the shoulder. _Okay_, he thought. _So much for yaaaay blood magic! I'll let Uldred do the blood magic is useful spiel_.

"It's this way," Jowan said when Anders turned and peered down side tunnel. "We're almost there."

"Yeah, but do you see what I see?" Anders said. "That's Lake Calenhad right through there."

Jowan tugged on his arm. "But the Libertarian meeting's over that way."

"Do you know what's just across the lake?"

"Erm, land?"

"Freedom, kid," Anders said as walked down to a small inlet where the waves were gently washing over the rocks. He sat down and started pulling off his boots. "And no Templars to sound the alarm for half a day. I can get a decent head start on the chasers by then."

"But, but, the meeting," Jowan said, looking around frantically. "Uldred's got a plan to shake up the whole Circle system. We can all be free."

Anders snorted. "Right, you know what they do to mages who talk too much about overthrowing the Circle, don't you?"

"Uldred said if enough of us get together we can stand against them."

"Uldred's an idiot," Anders said. "If enough mages get together you get 2:83 Glory, 6:19 Tower, 5:16 and 4:77 Black ..."

Jowan looked blankly at him.

"An-nul-ments, kid," Anders said as he started stripping off his clothes. "What do they teach you apprentices nowadays? You want the entire circle dead?"

"That won't happen," Jowan protested.

"Probably not," Anders said cheerfully as he stuck a foot in the water. "Usually the Templars take out the ringleaders first and see if that solves the problem. Damn, that's cold. It's always cold."

"But we'll get blamed if you take off," Jowan said. "The whole group will be disbanded! The Templars won't ever leave us alone again! It will mess up all of our plans."

"You make that sound like a bad thing," Anders said as he stuffed his clothes into a bag.

"Don't you care about freedom for mages?"

He paused. "I care about **my** freedom. Uldred's way isn't freedom, it's just a shortcut to death."

"You're wrong," Jowan protested.

Anders sighed. "Look Jowan, do you really care about freedom?"

"Yes!"

"Then learn how to swim."

_Uldred's going to kill me. _Jowan thought as he watched Anders disappear across the water.


End file.
